Since he was elevated to second in line to the Saudi throne a year ago, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has shaken things up in the ultra-conservative kingdom.

He is allowing women to drive and letting them go to sports stadiums, allowing music to be played on streets, permitting outdoor performances and, perhaps very significantly, marginalizing the kingdom's religious police. And Saudis are no longer forced to go to prayer five times a day.

Critics say the changes are merely cosmetic, and note that the government has arrested a number of women in recent weeks who have demanded further reforms.

But the atmosphere does seem more relaxed now than there was a year ago. One Saudi man told CNN that he is no longer to made to feel guilty, like he is being a "bad" Muslim.

Seventy-year-old activist who fought for freedoms remains in prison

From Laura Smith-Spark in London and Sarah El Sirgany in Jeddah

For some women, the jubilation at realizing a hard-won freedom Sunday will be tempered by the arrests last month of a number of Saudi rights activists, including some who have played a prominent role in the fight for women's right to drive.

Among the women's rights advocates arrested last month were Loujain Al-Hathloul, who was previously detained for 73 days in 2014 after trying to drive from the United Arab Emirates to Saudi Arabia, and Aziza al-Yousef, 70, one of the country's earliest activists for the right to drive.

Both remain in custody, rights group Amnesty International said Thursday.

Manal al-Sharif: First ticket for woman was issued in 2011

Women might be legally driving for the first time on Sunday -- but that doesn’t mean a woman has never been issued a ticket before.

Manal al-Sharif, who has campaigned heavily for female driving, was issued a ticket after recording herself getting behind the wheel in 2011.

She uploaded the video of herself driving -- seemingly unnoticed -- through the streets of Saudi Arabia's Khobar City, and was subsequently jailed for nine days.

On Sunday, the activist was quick to draw attention to the past violation in a Twitter post.

5:46 a.m. ET, June 24, 2018

How did we get here? The long road to women driving in Saudi Arabia

"The history of Saudi Arabia, since its founding, has been one where the government has been gradually loosening the strings of tremendous conservatism," according to Ali Shihabi, founder of The Arabia Foundation.

Here's the long road the country took to get to this point.

5:23 a.m. ET, June 24, 2018

Women-only pink parking spaces ready and waiting in Saudi

Women’s parking spaces – replete with pink bollards and signage -- were all set for the new drivers.

4:57 a.m. ET, June 24, 2018

Photos capture women driving in Saudi cities

At the stroke of midnight Sunday, Saudi women were legally allowed to drive for the first time – and they wasted no time getting behind the wheel. Here are some photos from Khobar city and Riyadh.

A Saudi women and her friends celebrate her first time driving in Khobar city, in the east of the country, on her way to Bahrain.

More celebrations in Khobar city

Saudi woman Sabika Habib drives through the streets of Khobar city

Walaa Abou Najem, 30, drives her car through the streets of the capital Riyadh for the first time